132nd Hakka Toastmasters Meeting (12/24/2011)

This is our 132nd monthly meeting...11 full years seem just like a flash, and how time flies!  It is really a wonderful life experience to have these Hakka friends that stay so close and many friends that plug in from time to time.  Thank you all, our good friends.
We came over to the new office building that Ivan and Jocey bought early this year. So glad to see the young couple's moving forward!
Brother Yuan-Hsiang Peng shared with us his recent trip report of Hakka Teachers' Seminar in Taiwan.  Maybe pretty soon, our community will have an official Hakka Class.  Well prepared and a marvelous presentation...that all our friends' hearts might be triggered...
We were treated by our Host, Ivan with a delicious lunch at Wabi Sabi near his office... and the meeting ended with a very happy Birthday cake cutting...a surprise to our birthday boy - Shih-Hung Lo...
It is so much for 2011 Christmas Eve.

Thanksgiving Concert (131th Hakka Toastmasters Meeting - 11/26/2011)

Last year, Hakka Toastmasters Meeting had a wonderful Mid-Summer Concert...and it has been a great memory.  This year, due to Hakka Summer Camp, we skipped the program and move it to November for this Thanksgiving Concert.  Lynn Huang and Rhapsody Trio (Jane and Yvonne), plus two new friends - Lorenzo Chang and Apple Chan brought a very nice program to us.  Here is the link to see our program book.

Thanks to Brother Shi-Hung, we are able to enjoy the photos and also the following videos clips taped from the program:

三重奏/男中音 : 夜夜/改編自"雨夜花"及" 月夜愁" 黃令先編曲 表演者: 狂想三重奏‧張淳菡

男中音 Impossible Dream 黃令先編曲 表演者: 張淳菡

 三重奏/男女聲對唱 : 椅頭上的疼 詹純甄詞/王亦凡曲/黃令先編曲 表演者: 狂想三重奏‧張淳菡‧詹凌甄

 三重奏 : 我的天呀!/改編自"大黃蜂"及" 天黑黑" 表演者: 狂想三重奏

129th Hakka Toastmasters Meeting (10/1/2011)

10/1/2011 客語生活座談會  大家同聲朗讀  增廣昔時賢文
一方面學習  用客家話讀字 
一方面聽長者介生活智慧撈心得分享 
大家盡歡喜  比打嘴鼓  赫有意思 

讀忒增廣  再收集 山歌歌詞 大家共下朗誦 學唱
愛習慣看字讀音  相信會有助鄉親寫客家三行詩介字彙


Please click a short film  to see these happy bunch...

2011 LA客語講習會 (9/3-4/2011)

The Fifth Hakka Summer Camp in Los Angeles took place on 9/3 & 9/4 at the Los Angeles Culture Center, City of El Monte, California.  Our 128th (2011/August) Hakka Toastmasters Meeting was dedicated to this two days event.  Glad to see so many Hakka friends enjoyed very much together...Not only they study hard during the classes, also bunch-up to chat at the breaks.  These photos show them all!
Professor Ho and Wu are very popular and also the way of their approach seems working extremely well with majority of students.  I believe they got their jobs done and they earned their respects from our participants.

Salute to our volunteers team, they have devoted much time and efforts before, during and after the event.  There is only one thing bothered a few of us very much...The way this year's Registration seems to be way too loose. Apparently tried too hard to make it up for the headcounts... Anyone can easily observe that a great deal of people showed up simply for the "Foods" and "Gifts" !
This is not only a joke, irrespective to our instructors also the serious attendees, it also creates unnecessary wastes on the energy, especially an over-sized classroom with the light and air-conditioning., plus all the teaching materials, students ID to prepared.
We couldn't find the great tradition of "Ecological Practice" in our past four Hakka Summer Camps that we used to commit for "Reuse, Reduce and Recycle" practice and our Hakka friends were indeed very proud of it.
Other than that, during the hot summer time, we all have fun of learning our mother tongue and Hakka culture.
========
Share with you...Hakka 3 line Poems that Mr. Leu has sent in after the camp.

轉送鄉賢 呂清雲老師 課後所作 客話三行詩 分享:  

www.Hakka3linepoem.blogspot.com

 

09.04.11
客語講習會
何吳先生台灣來
客家鄉親心頭開
(2011年海外客語巡迴教學由客家新竹寶山何石松文學博士，以及花蓮玉里吳榮順音樂博士擔任講座，九月三日、四日兩天密集課程，讓一兩百位鄉親對客語有更深一層的理解，對客家山歌的演唱，亦領略一點訣竅，人人歡喜，頗有滿載而歸之感。)

 

老來唱山歌
越唱山歌越思鄉
故鄉在台萬年長

 

山歌客家寶
隨口唱出腔調多
談情勸善樣樣好

 

頭擺客家人
耕田摘茶透日忙
唱條山歌心開陽

 

教授教山歌
阿公阿婆隨口唱
有腔有調喜洋洋

 

客語老古言
一代一代傳下來
漢民寶粹毋係吹

 

寶山何石松
滿腹經綸隨口出
傳揚文化來洛城

 

客家諺語多
一句一句記心頭
祖先經驗全係寶

127th Hakka Toastmasters Meeting - featuring Chang Chiu-Tai (7/30/2011)

七月三十日，三十餘位客家鄉親在洛杉磯近郊Azusa Mountain Cove (暱稱: 水汴頭)，共度一個溫馨又歡喜的週末。這一次的聚會是我們「洛杉磯客語生活座談會」的127th月會，也藉機大夥歡迎我們的好朋友  張秋台校長暨家人的來訪。

張校長在大家自我介紹之後，就以猜謎語方式切入，帶領我們跟隨他進入源源不斷的客家語言、文化、習俗、智慧、幽默的寶藏。

隨行的客家鄉賢涂先生，原本要保留精彩雙聲山歌到全美會表演，禁不起本地山歌老手挑釁，也讓大夥搶先一飽耳福。

「三合水工作坊 」 班底 黃令先 帶來 Rhapsody Trio 到場作即興表演，也為她們 9/10 公演作暖身。鄉親直呼賺到了！

豐盛多樣的 Potlucks 與 分組結群的 逗嘴鼓‧ 歡笑聲洋溢一屋間。這一天 實在美，真的是 很客家 很台味！

鄉親  羅慶士， 呂清雲，許正龍 各作 客家三行詩 為此次聚會留誌:

鄉親坐兼來
母語交談感尤親
故鄉話題更加親

張秋台校長
多才多藝又風雅
用講用畫乜精采

客語座談會
敦親睦鄰講客話
關心臺灣選舉情     (羅慶士)

====================
客語座談會
聆聽生趣阿母話
認真發揚唔會假

歡迎張校長
熱情鄉親集一堂
三重演奏共欣賞

特別介集會
美食滿桌任你嚐
歡唱山歌喜洋洋

生趣介座談
客家文化多精彩
人人聽到笑海海     (呂清雲)
 ====================
歡喜來集會
有講有唱雅音享
無計無較情義長

客家介智慧
話頭話尾多玄機
校長笑談傳慧心      (許正龍)
=====================

A family concert for Mrs. Huang Wen Wen-Tse's 90th Birthday Party

7/23/2011 at Taiwan Center in City of Rosemead Calif., we're honored to be invited to the family event of Huang's.  Our beloved Hakka friend, Mrs. Huang Wen Wen-Tse is celebrating her 90th Birthday with a family concert in classic style.  What an amazing family and what a wonderful idea!
Mrs. Huang raises 9 kids and total 23 grand children.  There are all very outstanding in different fields, yet sharing the same hobby - music.  The family concert is the best Birthday gift the big bunch present to their Chief.

We are so happy to be there...
Mr. and Mrs. Tseng Der-Jing have prepared a big pot of Hakka Mochi for the event, one of the most popular dessert...and Mr. James Leu did write up his Hakka 3 line Poems for this beautiful event:

老太有福氣
子孫滿堂全優秀
琴聲繞樑祝高壽
(黃溫老太太，文子女士，子孫滿堂，個個才藝出眾，七月二十三日，於台灣會館，別開生面，以家庭音樂會方式，祝其九十高壽，上百親友，共聚一堂，歡樂感人。)



家庭音樂會
鋼琴合唱小提琴
子孫共慶老阿祖


特別介祝壽
家庭子孫音樂會
九十老太笑開懷
(家住洛城，山歌滿腹，客家鄉親稱之為國寶的黃溫文子女士，兒女九位，個個傑出，內外孫共二十餘，一家醫生十數人，尤其令人仰慕的是大大小小，鋼琴、小提琴、歌唱，都有極高造詣，今天他們從美國各地，專程前來台灣會館，舉辦音樂會，為高齡九十的老阿姆、老阿婆慶生，確實是別開生面的一次家庭音樂會。)


Thanks to Hui-Yuan and Chang-Ting to help in charge of our gift shopping.  Appreciate to Wen Sung, John Hsu, Ivan Huang, Lisa Wu, James Leu, Clyde Kiang, Shih-Hung Lo, Mu-Lien Lai, Sandy Lo for the chip in.

Shih-Hung did a marvelous job for the photography. Karen and Ben, again good volunteers for the set-up and cleaning up.  






Hakka Legends

2011 LA River Clean-Up (124th Meeting)

228-64th Commemorative Concert (2/28/2011)

This is the 122th monthly Meeting of our Los Angeles Hakka Toastmasters.  We have carried on our tradition to call our members to help out for the 228 Commermorative Concert. 
It is a cold Monday evening, yet we have a full house for the event. 
Please enjoy the programs on the following youtube videos:

1. Blessing by Rev. David Huang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjpptcUSpIU

2. The Spiritual Day of Taiwan


Performed by Rhapsody Trio
Piano: Lynn Huang / Violin: Yvonne Wang / Clarinet: Jen Chan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGhQCFLUoTo


5. Laying Down The Lily

Poem Recitation with Sign Language Dance

Performed by Christine Cheng

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8O82IMyn-c

6. The Unreachable Star

Soprano: Jessica Chen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8is7CA56Kw

7. The Unreachable Star

Performed by Rhapsody Trio
Piano: Lynn Huang / Violin: Yvonne Wang / Clarinet: Jen Chan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibThp4aVfis

8. I Love Mama

Performed by Rhapsody Trio
Piano: Lynn Huang / Violin: Yvonne Wang / Clarinet: Jen Chan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUcx-naumQA

9. In Remembrance / mov. II, "Ilha Formosa: Requiem for Martyr di Formosa"

Poem by Min-Yung Lee / Music by Tyzen Hsiao
Performed by Taiwanese United Chorus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_dFnSSlaZk

10. In Remembrance / mov. IV, "Ilha Formosa: Requiem for Martyr di Formosa"

Poem by Min-Yung Lee / Music by Tyzen Hsiao
Performed by Taiwanese United Chorus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkAc_LTYTEQ

11. Love and Hope / 1947 Overture

Performed by Taiwanese United Chorus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uKzsR8_b8o

12. Taiwan The Green / 1947 Overture

Performed by Taiwanese United Chorus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNTqWdeduDk

13. Prof. Hsiao Takes a Bow & Conducts an Encore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig-f333yojk

Here's the Hakka recitation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW8EiWoj5nE


And here's the first piece by the Taiwanese United Chorus with original, unedited footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_70_ufEm678

228-64th Commemorative Concert (Before)

為   "那一代的義人志士， 以及被嚇壞的老百姓”


為   "64年後，仍在恐懼與被欺凌的台灣母親”

一起祈禱…

時間:：2/28/2011 (Monday) 7:30 — 9:00 PM

地點:：Arcadia Presbyterian Church (626) 445-7470

121 Alice Street, Arcadia, CA 91006

(1 blocks North of Duarte, 1 block East of Santa Anita)

免費入場 詳洽: TUF 626.804-3703



  

懷念 楊元豐 老師

    日前開車帶我太太去離家不遠的一家診所做身體檢查，在候診室接到好友鋼琴家徐欽華兄從台灣打來電話說，楊老師走了，心裡感到很難過。楊老師是他數十年的老朋友，也是我所熟識的朋友，曾經教過我孩子爵士樂的楊老師，元豐兄逝世了，洗腎多年，以致身體衰竭，連起身下床都有困難，最後脫離苦海，回歸自然。
    楊老師，三四十年前，在台視任音樂指導時，大家都稱他楊老師而不名。一提起楊老師，誰都對他又是敬，又是畏。他組織彩虹樂隊，那時像白嘉莉、鳳飛飛、崔苔菁幾位大明星，都還得聽他的呢。台視的五大、五小、十二金釵、五燈獎歌手都少不了他，否則就不對味了。
    1970年，徐欽華兄創立台視兒童合唱團，並任樂團指揮時，楊老師擔任鋼琴伴奏。楊老師非但鋼琴彈得好，他的電子琴、打擊樂器，多種樂器都有很高的造詣，非僅於此，台視在七十年代，風行一時的許多卡通影片，像神女超人、巨獸王、宇宙防衛隊、阿美阿美、小頑童等等，都是他配的樂，無怪那時他受到台視非常的器重。奈何天有不測風雲，人有旦夕禍福，在那匪諜就在你身邊，白色恐怖的年代，有一年青年節，台視播放武昌起義特別節目，楊老師負責音效配樂，他在資料室挑一張唱片，其中有一首樂曲，他聽來覺得曲調滿宏偉雄壯，就播放了出去，怎麼也沒料到那首曲子竟是歌頌毛匪澤東的「東方紅」，這還了得，之後他自己也知道闖了大禍，下了班回家之後，打電話給徐老師，告訴他自己放了不該放的音樂。第二天一大清早，天都還沒亮，就有有三個警總人員，到他家把他帶走，家人惶恐不安，到處打聽他的下落，到底人在那裡?經過三個月的審問、調查，查不出他跟共匪有任何瓜葛，終於釋放了，不過他在台視的工作也飛了。在那個年代，台灣唯一的電視台出了紕漏，查起責任來，被牽連的人，可能會很廣，他毅然決然辭職，擔負起一切責任，才不致無辜的同事長官為放一首歌曲而遭殃。
     那時我並不知道他遭遇此橫禍，有一天經過衡陽街一家山葉樂器行，見到楊老師在裡頭彈電子琴，悠揚悅耳的琴聲，從店裡傳出，許多過路客，駐足聆聽欣賞。後來聽徐老師談起，才知道事情的始末。楊老師失去了他的工作，功學社老板跟他頗有交情，讓他隨興在店裡彈他喜歡彈的樂曲，付給他鐘點費，同時他也招收一些學生，教琴，古典、爵士、流行歌曲都教。他太太善於理財，並不因他的去職，生活發生困難，後來他還送他大女兒赴巴黎學鋼琴，學成回國後，在大中學任教。
    說起來他還是我北師學長，不過他是音樂科，而我念的是普通科。他畢業於民國四十四年，我是晚他兩年畢業，晚他兩年生，他是生於1936年。楊老師初任教北市興雅國小任教，兩年後轉任古亭國小，讓他感到最高興，而且還常跟人洋洋自得的說他發覺一位天才兒童，她有絕對音感，由於他的發覺、推薦，經過甄試，並得藝專校長鄧昌國先生的幫忙，送到德國深造，幾年後，這個小女孩得了許多國際鋼琴比賽大獎，當她回國時轟動一時，此後台灣年年就有了許多資賦優異的孩童送出國深造，而她則是第一位。相信年紀稍長的人都會知道，這位鋼琴家，也就是名揚四海的陳必先小姐。楊老師任教古亭幾年之後，又轉任吉林小學，之後任職台視，也就離開了學校教育工作。
    雖然我不曾跟他在同一所學校任教，但是他跟徐老師是苗栗同鄉客家人，同是學音樂，同是貧苦出身，同年師範畢業，只是一個念北師，一個念竹師，同樣進入師範之後才開始學琴，不過他們都從小愛好音樂，練琴特別努力認真，因此後來琴藝都有很高的造詣。他們深厚的交情超過半個世紀，而徐老師初從苗栗調到台北時，曾跟我同睡一張床舖，同包伙食一起用餐，我們常有來往，也時常聽到徐老師談起楊老師。楊老師的音樂才華高，為人豪爽，不拘小節，跟朋友相處總是嘻嘻哈哈，大家都樂於跟他交往。 由於他的興趣廣泛，古典、爵士、流行歌曲，他都沒有偏好，教學生也不限於古典音樂，不像徐老師自始至終，所練的是古典樂曲，所教的也是古典樂曲，幾十年來，一直在大、中、小學教音樂，教鋼琴，年年舉辦學生鋼琴演奏會。年紀超過七十，還跟學生一起表演雙鋼琴演奏呢！楊老師常自嘆若跟徐老師一樣的堅持認真走古典音樂的路，他的人生可能不一樣，但人各有志，又如何去分短長。
    記得大前年返台探親時，有一天，徐老師開車帶楊老師和我去澳底參加他學生舉辦師生鋼琴演奏會，途中聽他談起隔天就要洗一次腎，十分為洗腎感到苦痛，因為他心臟不好，曾做過心管繞道手術，或許因服藥多，以致影響腎臟毛病，不過那天，我並不覺得他身體特別虛弱。演奏會後，受邀到澳底最著名海鮮餐廳用餐，見楊老師一樣的開懷吃、喝，似乎與常人沒甚麼兩樣。回美後，我常會跟徐老師利用skype通話，每次都會問起楊老師的近況，所以楊老師一往生，徐老師就打電話告知此一不幸消息。
    往生是人生遲早必經之路，好友離開塵世，到另一不可知的世界，當然令人哀傷，可是他已脫離了人生苦海，或上了天堂，或到了西方極樂世界，我們也就只有祈求他安息了。

呂清雲  2/23/2011

Some great videos from the 6th Annual Hakka Jokes Contest

b

6th Hakka Jokes Contest (121th 生活座談會) (1/29/2011)

第6屆大蕃薯客家笑話比賽


歡樂迎兔年
南加鄉親 唱歌笑話樂翻天
=====================
1/29/2011 (Saturday)
再過幾天即將進入新的兔年，居住南加州的客家鄉親，舉辦第１２１次客語生活座談會，為迎接農曆新年的來臨，每家準備一道菜餚（potlucks)，同歡共飲。餐後並舉行第六屆大蕃薯客家笑話比賽，葷素無忌，歡樂連連，趣味無窮。

冷面笑匠  林彰廷 首先暖身熱場，一時氣氛高昂， 個個有備而來 ，評分也異常嚴謹。

黃溫文子老太太   寶刀犀利， 三連霸， 笑奪大蕃薯。

潘掬慧   些微比分，贏過高一小男生 黃鏡遠，分列二三。

許正龍  場控失效，笑不自已，連遭扣分，爭得倒數第二名，成為本屆豬尾獎得主。

最後大家舉杯，輪番用客家母語，相互賀年。

也為我們的兩位好朋友，蘇師姐與 魏大哥祈福： 早日康復，盡早歸隊生活座談會。

120th 生活座談會 (12/19/2010)

12/19/2010 (Sunday)
This is the last meeting of 2010, we are excited to have a very special guest speaker, Professor Yao Jia-Wen  to deliver an interesting speech: 客家人介台灣路. 
This month's presenter Josephine Pan shares with us :優社十年 with PPT to review what has "Taiwan Elite Alliance" done over the last decade.  Bravo! 優社!  Another 10 Years to go!
Mr. James Leu has shared the Hakka 3 Line Poems with the booklets that Mr. CS Lou printed in Guansi, Hsinchu.  Hakka Haiku is the pairing campagin of Haakka Toastmasters Meeeting, both will be important for our mother tongue to be preserved and promoted in oral and written practice.
Did you see the Guava, Dried Persimmon, Sausages and Rice Tamele...? Great time with so many good friends together....